SK bioscience Secures USD 3m RIGHT Foundation Grant for RSV Antibody Program

SK bioscience, a vaccine and biotechnology company headquartered in Incheon, South Korea, has secured KRW 4 billion (approximately USD 3.0 million) from the Research Investment for Global Health Technology Foundation (RIGHT Foundation) to advance clinical development of its RSV preventive antibody candidate, RSM01. The funding, structured as a grant through the RIGHT Foundation's Product Development Award rather than a traditional equity financing round, represents the largest single project award the foundation has issued.

The RIGHT Foundation grant will be directed toward accelerating a Phase 1b clinical trial of RSM01 in infants, the company said. RSM01 is a monoclonal antibody candidate designed to provide protection against respiratory syncytial virus through a single administration in newborns and infants across an RSV season. SK bioscience licensed the candidate from the Gates Medical Research Institute (Gates MRI), a nonprofit medical research organization. The antibody was originally designed by U.S. biotechnology company Adimab in collaboration with Gates MRI, which completed early research and a Phase 1a clinical trial. SK bioscience will be responsible for all subsequent development stages from Phase 1b onward, including process development and commercialization.

Non-clinical studies of RSM01 demonstrated suppression of RSV infection and replication, including activity against certain RSV strains with reduced responsiveness to existing preventive products, according to the company. Through the licensing agreement with Gates MRI, SK bioscience obtained exclusive global supply rights, with non-exclusive rights in India and Gavi-eligible countries. The company has outlined a dual commercialization strategy: pursuing commercial value in high-income markets while supplying doses at lower cost to address unmet needs in lower-income countries through large-scale manufacturing.

RSV remains a leading cause of severe lower respiratory tract infections in infants and young children globally. According to Evaluate Pharma, the global RSV preventive antibody market is projected to reach USD 4.5 billion by 2032, with limited products currently available and expanding immunization coverage in high-income countries.

Beyond RSM01, SK bioscience maintains a diversified infectious disease pipeline. The company's programs include a COVID-19 recombinant nanoparticle vaccine (GBP510), developed using a self-assembling nanoparticle platform licensed from the Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington, which completed Phase 3 trials with 4,036 participants. A Japanese encephalitis mRNA vaccine (GBP560) is in Phase 1/2, and a typhoid conjugate vaccine (Vi-DT), developed through a technology transfer partnership with the International Vaccine Institute, has completed Phase 3. The company has also referenced ongoing work on pneumococcal vaccines, universal coronavirus vaccines, avian influenza vaccines, and next-generation vaccine platforms.

Jinseon Park, COO of SK bioscience, said the funding agreement recognizes the potential of the Gates MRI technology and the company's commitment to global public health.

The provided information does not include details of previous equity financing rounds held by SK bioscience. The company has, however, established partnerships with organizations including CEPI, GSK, AstraZeneca, and Novavax across its vaccine manufacturing and development operations. SK bioscience is publicly listed and operates as part of the broader SK Group conglomerate.

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